Obesity is a problem in pet mice.A pet mouse will eat anything it is offered, making it easy for it to become obese.Obesity in pet mice can cause serious health problems.You can make a weight loss plan for your mouse by learning how to determine if it is obese.
Step 1: Move your mouse.
An animal's body condition is an assessment.It can be either extremely underweight or extremely overweight.You can determine your mouse's body condition by examining a few parts of it.The base of your mouse's tail should be held with your thumb and middle finger.Hold your mouse on a flat surface, like the floor or a table.The base of the tail is where the body is.Don't squeeze the tail too tightly.This could hurt your mouse.It's possible that your mouse doesn't want to stay still for long.Place your mouse back in the cage if it starts to wiggle.
Step 2: Your mouse has a spine.
A good indicator of body condition is how well you can see and feel your mouse.If your mouse is overweight, you can't feel the back of your neck.You may not be able to feel the spine if the mouse is obese.Press down on the spine with one or two fingers from the hand not holding the tail.If your mouse becomes uncomfortable, don't press down so hard.The mouse's spine would be felt with only a small amount of pressure.You would be able to see the points of the vertebrae without even touching them if you were an under-weight mouse.
Step 3: You should look for your mouse's hip bones.
The ability to see and feel the hip bones is an indicator of body condition in mice.The bottom of your mouse's spine is where the hip bones are located.The hip bones in mice are easy to see because they are not covered with much flesh.If your mouse is obese, you wouldn't be able to see or feel the hip bones because they would be covered with fat.The hip bones of a mouse are not visible.You would be able to feel them.
Step 4: Look at your mouse.
It is possible to determine if your mouse is obese by looking at it.If your mouse looks bulky and wide, then it is obese.If your mouse is obese, it would look like a large, wide mound from the back.You wouldn't be able to make out any structures.
Step 5: Talk to your vet.
Your mouse should lose some weight if it is obese.Talk with your vet before making any changes to your mouse diet or routine.Your vet can tell you how to help your mouse lose weight.You will need to increase the activity of your mouse in order to reduce its intake of calories.
Step 6: Feed your mouse a small amount of food.
Pets are prone to being obese due to overeating.You should only give your mouse a small amount of pellets per day.This isn't much, but it's enough for your mouse.Make sure you give your mouse the correct amount of pellets by using a measuring spoon.
Step 7: Add some fruits and vegetables to the diet of your mouse.
Fruits and vegetables are good for your mouse.Pet mice don't need a lot of food.Feed these foods in small amounts because they are treats.An apple slice is an example of fresh produce.There are some good feeding choices for mice.Some fruits and veggies are toxic to mice.Don't feed these to your mouse.The produce should be washed with water to remove pesticides.
Step 8: You shouldn't be feeding your mouse seeds.
The mice like to eat seeds.A pet mouse could become obese by eating too many of these seeds.Take the seeds out of the mouse's diet.A mouse can be made obese by food mixes containing seeds and grains.If your mouse is overweight, don't feed it anything.Feed it a completely pelleted diet.
Step 9: Your mouse has food in its cage.
In the wild, mice will look for food.You can help your mouse become more active by burying its food in the cage.This will make your mouse want to eat its food.If you clean your mouse's cage, you should remove some of the un eaten fruits and veggies.
Step 10: You can put an exercise wheel in your mouse's cage.
Your mouse will need to exercise more to lose weight.You can use exercise wheels to get your mouse to exercise.If you don't already have an exercise wheel for your mouse, you should purchase one that has a smooth surface.The diameter of the wheel should be at least 6 to 8 inches.Your mouse may not spend much time on the exercise wheel if it is obese.It may use the exercise wheel more and more as it loses weight.If your mouse doesn't like the exercise wheel, you could put it in an exercise ball and allow it to roam around a room.Make sure to keep an eye on the mouse while it is in the ball.